Christmas Dress Up Week

Middle school has been such fun for Emily. Just before Christmas break they had a Christmas dress up week! Emily really gets into these days....

Ugly Sweater day...

Favorite Christmas Character day and my personal fav...

Red and green day...

There was also a Hawaiian day where she wore a very colorful Hawaiian shirt of Grandpa's and pajama day where she wore my new kitty footy pjs!! I missed those pics because there just isn't time in the morning and she takes it off as soon as she gets home!! Do you think she'll put the outfit back on and let me take a pic later?? No Way!!! Geez Mom!! How could you even ask??

What a fun way to get more in the spirit while at the same time making school more fun for the last few days!  We had a lot of fun with it!!

I always seem to be a day late and a dollar short....

and today is no different...

Al's birthday was December 18th and the kids and I tried to make it fun....it's hard having a birthday so close to Christmas and of course when you have a wife who turns 40 the same year....well, you know what I mean...

Casey is convinced that birthdays mean hunts (although I think his opinion is changing to all presents...)so anyway, we did a scavenger birthday hunt for Daddy. Casey probably loved it more than Daddy! Casey actually got his first hunt last February on his 5th birthday and I remember him opening that present and saying, " But Mom. It's just a piece of paper." Emily heard that and she perked right up and the hunt was on. When they finally found his present, Casey handed it to me and said, "Again!" At my birthday this year, he insisted that Al help him hide a picture that he drew for me because it was my birthday and birthdays mean hunts after all.

So, on Al's birthday, while he was outside working, the kids and I planned a hunt, each of us picking hiding places. When it came time to open presents, we couldn't find that one...Casey pipes up, "Daddy, we have to find that one so we can send you on your hunt!" Eventually, we all remembered that Casey had wanted to hide that present too and we found it in the refrigerator!!

We had a steak lunch and watched the latest Pirate's of the Caribbean movie that we gave Daddy for his birthday in our "movie theater." We even drug it out to birthday week and all went to the theater this last week to see Sherlock Holmes 2 for his birthday!! Hope it was fun turning 39 Al!! We love you!!

Photography

I worked last Saturday and when I got home I noticed how cool the moon was lighting the river so I went home and talked Emily into going and taking pictures with me. We grabbed one of Al's neon shirts and hats and gloves. I parked off of the bridge and put my flashers on....a nice policeman stopped and talked to me. And then we went out to the bridge which incidentally is on a highway and took some pics. Emily used my old camera and I used my new one!! Hers needed some settings adjusted, but she was cold and worried about being on the bridge and cold so we headed home, but I did get a couple of interesting shots...

This reminds me of some artwork hanging in my sister and brother in law's house. It looks like not much of anything until you get up close to it and can pick out the objects in the landscape. I lightened it just a little. I don't edit much so I'm not sure, perhaps it needs something a bit more?? What do you think? Beth???

On another not, I'm still not done Christmas shopping and sending cards, etc. but as of today closer than I was yesterday which is always a big plus!!!